After considering two other schools, hard-hitting safety Craig Loston will sign with LSU.

After considering two other schools, hard-hitting safety Craig Loston will sign with LSU.

Photo: Robert Barreda, For The Chronicle

High school football recruits find it tough to commit

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Deciding where to go to college can be tough for any high school student. For a high-profile football recruit, the decision can become downright distressing.

Such has been the case for Craig Loston, a defensive back from Eisenhower. Loston, the nation’s No. 1 safety, according to Rivals.com, has experienced the stressors firsthand.

The long road for Loston has included twists and turns that resulted in the 6-2, 193-pound standout’s switching his commitment twice and resorting to silence regarding recruiting. He is verbally committed to LSU and is expected to sign a letter of intent Wednesday,

“Every school that he committed to (before LSU), the head coach was fired,” said Cypress Ridge quarterback Russell Shepard, who, as Loston’s cousin, is close with him. “He has had a hard time trusting coaches and universities. Every school he gave his commitment to, they left him hanging, and he felt betrayed.”

Loston, who declined to comment on the subject, first committed to Texas A&M as a sophomore, then picked Clemson before his senior season, moving on from both after coaching changes and controversy.

But Loston is not the only recruit to struggle with making a decision and sticking by it. It seems each year more top-flight recruits have trouble making and honoring their verbal commitment.

Take Stratford defensive end Terrance Lloyd. The 6-4, 230-pound senior committed to Missouri in September before switching to Baylor last week. His change of heart was a matter of location.

“He did not want to go far away from home,” Stratford coach Eliot Allen said. “He thought Missouri would be a good fit for him football-wise, but it was just so far away. Baylor has a chance to be good, and it’s closer.

“It was one of the hardest things for him to do.”

Navasota running back Dexter Pratt also recently made a switch. Pratt, who rushed for 1,352 yards and 19 touchdowns in leading the Rattlers to a state quarterfinal appearance, was committed to LSU for 10 months but switched to Oklahoma State.

“Terrance had his first offer as a sophomore, before he even played a snap of varsity football,” Allen said. “That part of the process bothers me.”

The more time a recruit has to rethink his decision, the more likely it becomes that he will change his mind. Many top-flight recruits commit early in order to end the process, but that doesn’t stop schools from pursuing them, because verbal commitments are non-binding.

Friendswood senior quarterback Jacob Karam provides a good example. After committing to Texas Tech in June, he received an offer from Oklahoma, a school he long listed among his favorites, a few weeks later. Karam stuck to his guns and will sign with Tech on Wednesday.

“I think some players change their minds because, in their minds, maybe another opportunity is better,” Karam said. “The biggest thing is for kids to choose the school that fits you and your personality.”

Shepard also had little difficulty sticking with his commitment to LSU last spring. Despite being the state’s top-ranked recruit, he never wavered, though he learned a lot about the process in his own experience and Loston’s.

“You kind of just have to roll with the punches,” Shepard said. “You have to learn what kind of people they are and what they stand for.”